Seriously
by SpaceTart
Summary: GaiKakashi for a "sappy love story" challenge. Shonen ai, will spoil those who have only seen the anime for later events in the series.


Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, Shueisha, and others, not me.   
  
Rating: PG-13, BL  
  
This was for a sappy love story challenge on the Naruto yaoi mailing list. It's set after the Itachi/Kisame fight, so it has spoilers for the manga, and is ahead of the anime.   
  
Kakashi awoke slowly, feeling every ache in his body. He sat up, and was surprised to see Gai sitting on a stool at the end of the bed, shoulders slu mped, head down. He looked up at the noise of the bedclothes rustling. "Hey."   
  
"Gai," Kakashi said weakly. "What happened?"   
  
"Itachi got you with a genjutsu and you passed out. We brought you back here."   
  
"Asuma and Kurenai?"   
  
Gai made a vague gesture with his hand in the direction of the door. "They had to meet up with their teams."   
  
"I thought I heard Sasuke earlier..." He winced and rubbed his forehead. "Was he here?"   
  
"Yes. That idiot Aoba told him about Itachi and he took off for the next village. I caught up with him, and uh, kind of drop-kicked Jiraiya in the head. He got in the way of my Dynamite Entry. That one can't be stopped!" He grinned sheepishly. "The action was over by the time I got there. I took him to the hospital."   
  
"The hospital?" He coughed and reached up to pull his mask down, revealing a frown. "Did he fight Itachi?" Kakashi's frown deepened as he played back the fight from earlier. Itachi's strength had increased even from when he was captain of the Anbu, and he knew Sasuke was no match for him at the moment.   
  
"I told Naruto he was just sleeping the chidori off, but that wasn't it. Itachi got him. He looked broken...just like Lee did. None of the medics could get a response out of him, he just kept muttering something about his mother and father."  
  
"Sounds like another hallucination technique." Kakashi looked down at the coverlet, remembering Sasuke's determination to kill his brother that he'd spoke about on their first day as a team. "That kind of singlemindedness can go both ways. It can help you become the best or it can make you into something evil."   
  
Gai nodded earnestly and abruptly stood up. He climbed up onto the bed. "Move over." Kakashi looked at him, startled, but did as he asked, scooting over so Gai could drape his arms over the other man's shoulders. After a moment, he leaned back against Gai's chest. "You know, I saved your life today, my rival."   
  
"Not this again..."   
  
"Fifty-one to forty-nine. The epic battle of Gai and Kakashi's rivalry has reached a standstill, with me in the lead!"   
  
Unseen to Gai, Kakashi mouthed "epic?" and rolled his eyes. "You're still counting? We haven't sparred in years."   
  
"One year, six months, and fourteen days. Ever since I got my team." Gai rested his head on Kakashi's shoulder and sighed. "They take up a lot of time."   
  
"Seriously," Kakashi agreed, smiling. "Especially with a troublesome team like yours."   
  
"Troublesome?!"   
  
"Nothing like mine. " Gai was so amusing to tease...  
  
"My team doesn't go running off into fights they can't win. My team doesn't steal other ninjas' hard-learned techniques, though I think we can blame that on their teacher, Copycat Kakashi."   
  
"But my team doesn't..." He exploded into a fit of coughing and Gai tightened his grip until it ended. "I'm not up to it right now."   
  
"That Uchiha psycho, when I saw his fishy partner coming at you..."He stopped and cleared his throat. "Well, it made me think of Gaara coming for Lee." The unsaid words hung in the air, that he had been scared, worried, upset.   
  
"I thought that was it. Everything was going fuzzy."   
  
"He hadn't figured on Maito Gai. Admit it, I looked pretty cool."  
  
"Like I said, everything was fuzzy."   
  
"Hmmph. Well, I did."   
  
"I'll take your word for it." Before Gai could get offended, he added. "You backed me up."   
  
It didn't work. "Of course I did! You're my friend, and I don't want you to get a sword in the face, especially not like the one he was carrying. Also.." He scrubbed a hand through his hair, then said loudly. "I love you, and no one's kicking your butt but me. When our teams move on, we have to start spending more time together. We can start sparring again."  
  
"Gai..." Kakashi twisted around so he could look at the other man. "Would you hand me that glass of water?"   
  
Gai looked at him, hurt, as he handed over the object in question. "That's what you were thinking about just now?!"   
  
He smiled, his one visible eye crinkling shut. "I was thirsty."  
  
"You really get on my nerves sometimes!" He shoved himself off the bed and headed toward the door. Kakashi reached out and caught his hand before he could make it there.   
  
"I'm a sick man. If you make me get up, I'll probably die. Seriously." He tugged on Gai's hand. "Get back here." He pulled the other man back down onto the bed and threw half of the covers over him. "I'm going back to sleep. Stay here with me."   
  
"I'm not tired," he grumbled, but he pulled the covers up to his chin and rolled over, spooning up behind Kakashi.  
  
"Fine. I'll just use your arm as a pillow." He laid his head down on Gai's arm and closed his eyes, soon falling back asleep. Gai yawned and leaned his forehead against Kakashi's back. 


End file.
